Colorblind
by leyton-is-lovee
Summary: Somewhere in the past few years green has become his favorite color. He isn’t sure when it happened, but his collection of the color has noticeably increased. It’s always a specific color green. Not forest or lime, but more of an emerald. LP


**I own nothing, not even "Colorblind" by Counting Crows.**

I am completely in love with this song. I've been trying to write this for a while, it's not the one I really wanna get done, but it was like the second closest one. A chapter is coming up (hopefully) for **Keep Holding On**. Thank you for being so patient.

On to the one-shot.

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I am colorblind  
Coffee black and egg white  
Pull me out from inside  
I am ready  
I am ready  
I am ready  
I am

He sits in his room and gazes pointlessly at the wall. His mind is preoccupied – not that that's something new – his mind's been somewhere else for two years, but he'll never admit that aloud. He isn't even sure he knows the answer.

There's just this _ache_.

He sighs and stands. He runs a hand through his hair and walks to his closet. He pulls the door open and marvels at the drastic change in shade that his closet has taken to. Brooke visited a few months ago and in her true self, she ransacked his closet. In turn, she hung all his shirts according to the color spectrum. The amount of dark shades he had amazed her.

Somewhere in the past few years green has become his favorite color. He isn't sure when it happened, but his collection of the color has noticeably increased. It's always a specific color green. Not forest or lime, but more of an emerald.

He's got a pair of boxers in the color and a button down shirt that matches. More then one of his t-shirts are all alike. But his favorite piece of clothing would have to be an emerald tie with spots of gold throughout it.

Every time he wears it, he feels a little closer to something.

"Lucas, we have to go", his girlfriend says from her spot in the living room.

With a smile he grabs for it and hangs it around his neck.

_Taffy stuck, tongue tied  
Stuttered shook and uptight  
Pull me out from inside  
I am ready  
I am ready  
I am ready  
I am...fine_

Haley's favorite color is purple. When she was younger she had hat that was all purple and even had a big purple rose on it. She had a pair of purple rain boots that she wore in the blazing sun. The few years she had to wear glasses, they were bright purple rims.

Lucas has always known this about her so when she opens the door in a light purple dress he isn't that surprised. She smiles when she sees him and they embrace without a second thought.

As he walks through the house his brother peeks around the corner.

They share a typical man hug and Lucas thinks about how he doesn't know his younger brother's favorite color. They break apart and he realizes that Nathan's dressed head to toe in black, but dons a purple tie. The color matches Haley's dress and Lucas smirks.

His nephew bounds down the stairs and before Lucas can breathe he's picking his godson up and throwing him into the air. He smiles at James and the little boy pulls on his tie. Lucas pulls on the color of Jamie's dress shirt and he giggles.

James has always loved the color blue. His room is blue. The pair of socks that he always wants to wear is blue. Grover is his favorite character. The dress shirt he has on now is blue.

They would never be this dressed up, but when he looks over his shoulder and glances at his best friend and little bother he can only smile. It's for a perfectly good cause.

Haley and Nathan's anniversary party.

Five years for a couple that married in high school is a milestone and even though Haley blushed at the thought, Brooke wasn't going to let her win.

As he thinks of the brunette, well, former brunette, she walks around the corner in a deep red, satin dress. For her complexion, red has always been her color. She was the girl behind the red door, the girl who always in some way had a shade of that color on. A hair clip, a shirt, shorts, dresses. Even now, she's recently died her hair a tint of red.

They all leave the house together and Lucas glimpses at the dress his girlfriend is wearing.

He sighs gently and shakes his head.

Simple grey.

_I am covered in skin  
No one gets to come in  
Pull me out from inside  
I am folded, and unfolded, and unfolding_

He stands outside in the warm air. It's packed inside the spacious room and he needs to clear his head. Everyone's here; everyone they love and that loves them. With the exception of one person.

Nobody in the group has uttered her name since Lucas came back from LA. He doesn't even know if she's going to come tonight. Two years has passed and one would think it would be easier. That time would truly heal all wounds.

But it's the exact opposite.

He's still confused and hurt, but he never shows it. He smiles with Lindsey and wraps his arm tighter around her waist. They've been together for nearly a year and he loves her. He knows he does, but when he think about the love he knows he's capable of giving . . . it can never compare.

It _will_ _never_ compare.

He shakes his head for the millionth time that night. He doesn't know why he suddenly thinks about the colors and why he's thinking about his former girlfriend (even though he thinks of her more times then he cares to admit). He should be inside celebrating instead of standing out here; contemplating.

He turns to walk back through the doors, but an approaching cab on the opposite side of the street stops him in his tracks. The door opens and before he can even see the person that's about to get out he notices the color that they're wearing.

A shimmery emerald green.

He's so focused on the color and the fact that he can name several things in his house that match it – placemats in the kitchen, towels in the bathroom, his couch cover, and the very tie he's wearing right now – that he barley acknowledges the leg that's attached to the dress.

Once his eyes refocus he scans along the limb. It's a long leg. Lean and toned. Obviously a female's. It could be anyone's. A family member, a friend, a casual acquaintance. He squints his eyes a little harder and spots an iridescent looking scar on this person's calf, right above their ankle.

His mouth goes dry.

_I am colorblind  
Coffee black and egg white  
Pull me out from inside_

She's been here for a few hours and at first it was completely awkward.

The prodigal ex-girlfriend returns from Los Angeles. All eyes were on her and she was never one for attention in the first place. Thankfully, as soon as Nathan swept her up into his arms the room let out a collective puff of air.

As she sits on the balcony she lets out her own puff of air. It's been harder then she thought it would be. Being in the same room as him is near impossible.

They haven't spoken, haven't even locked eyes, but she can feel him.

She could feel his eyes pierce the back of her head. She could feel him gaze at her as she danced with Brooke. When she scooped Jamie in her arms and tickled him till he was red in the face; she can't even think about when she felt when he saw that.

It must be somewhere near eighty degrees, but a shiver runs along her body. The sound of the door opening makes her spin around and instantly her eyes widen.

He closes the door behind him and doesn't look anywhere but the crowded room. He lets out a puff of air and gasps for more to fill his lungs. He knew it would be hard, but he never anticipated feeling like this.

They haven't spoken, haven't even locked eyes, but he can smell her.

There must be near a hundred people in the ballroom. All wearing different perfumes and colognes. Some may even be overcome with a slight body order because of the heat. But only one aroma fills his senses.

Lavender and vanilla.

Before he can form another thought a person behind him clears their throat and as a gust of wind surges past him his eyes widen. He spins around and there she stands.

_As gorgeous as ever_, he notes.

"Hi", she says meekly.

_I am ready  
I am ready  
I am ready  
__I am fine  
I am fine_

He stares into her eyes and has the feeling that he's seen this image before. Clearly, he's stared into her eyes numerous times, but that isn't what he's feeling now. He doesn't know what exactly, but it's kind of like déjà vu. Like he's looked at this image everyday.

He feels like he's closer to something.

Her eyes quickly leave his and they travel down to his tie. It's barely hanging on to his neck and almost out of instinct she reaches up and pulls at the already loose knot. He tenses at her actions, but she doesn't back away. Her eyes are focused on the task at hand and he watches her carefully.

His blue eyes travel down to her hands as they easily adjust his tie. Her thin fingers twirl the material of his tie and he smiles shyly. She furrows her brows and he frowns slightly also. She quickly glances up at him and once their eyes lock he's done for.

Every day of the last two years flashes before his eyes and he knows exactly where his sudden favorite color comes from. Her eyes bore into his and he travels from his tie to her eyes.

The similarity is astounding.

Her breath hitches in her throat and she drops her hands from his tie. He places his hands on her shoulders and pulls her into his body. As he breathes in her scent strands of her hair tickle his nose, but he doesn't care.

He kisses the top of her head and can feel his eyes begin to burn. He knows why he holds onto this color and why he feels the need to carry a little piece of it with him at all times. He lowers his lips to her ear and whispers so softly that she has to strain to hear it.

"I miss you everyday."

_I am fine_

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So, it's completely random and off base from anything I think I've ever done. Let me know what you think!


End file.
